Operational Excellence Leader – Lean & Six Sigma

Bodycote; Newport; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Bodycote is seeking a Continuous Improvement Manager to drive operational excellence across UK and France manufacturing sites. You will apply Lean, Six Sigma and root cause analysis to reduce waste, improve quality and boost productivity.

The role involves coordinating with site leadership, planning kaizen events, and delivering measurable financial benefits through structured problem solving. Travel across UK and France is expected; a strong background in Lean/Six Sigma and data-driven decision

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations, Business, or related field; Master’s or MBA preferred.
• 5+ years in process improvement, operations, or related roles.
• Certification in Lean or Six Sigma (Green/Black Belt preferred).
• Strong analytical, facilitation and project management skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead continuous improvement initiatives within the production site for gains in throughput, quality, and cost.
• Implement Lean and Six Sigma to eliminate waste and improve process flow.
• Collaborate with GM’s, Plant Managers, Engineers, and Production Managers to tackle bottlenecks.
• Plan and facilitate kaizen events, value stream mapping, and Gemba walks.
• Translate improvements into financial benefits and track completion.
• Develop visual management systems and KPI dashboards for transparency.
• Coach frontline teams on 5S, SMED, standard work, and poka‑yoke.
• Collaborate to set annual improvement goals and monitor KPIs.

Skills

Lean

Six Sigma

Root Cause Analysis

Kaizen

DMAIC

5S

Poka-yoke

PowerBI

Data analysis

Cross-functional leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations, Business, or related field

Master’s or MBA preferred

Tools

PowerBI

Job description

Bodycote is seeking a Continuous Improvement Manager to drive operational excellence across UK and France manufacturing sites. You will apply Lean, Six Sigma and root cause analysis to reduce waste, improve quality and boost productivity.

The role involves coordinating with site leadership, planning kaizen events, and delivering measurable financial benefits through structured problem solving. Travel across UK and France is expected; a strong background in Lean/Six Sigma and data-driven decision